11/27/2011 - JD's Turkey Like You've Never Tasted

Turkey Like You've Never Tasted

            Traditionally Thanksgiving is a time to gather & reflect with family and friends. If you're like me, it is also a time to experiment and unveil some new dishes (or tweak some old favorites.) I think of it as the Detroit Auto Show for cooking.  Maybe it's a new bread recipe, a wilted greens salad or even a shot at homemade pumpkin ravioli. This year, how about one last hurrah before storing your grill for the winter?

            For a lot of folks smoking or slow roasting meat can seem a complex, daunting and time consuming task. Well, I'm here to help with two of the three obstacles. Making a smoked turkey for is not only delicious, it can be a fun activity for the family. Here's how I do mine, using a 12-14 pound turkey.  Before we get started, here's a rundown of some things you'll need to make sure you have before you get started:

Gas or charcoal grill & wood chips

Extra space in your fridge or a cooler & ice sufficient to hold your bird fully submerged in brine. Prepare your brine ahead of time and let it sit in the fridge until you're ready to use it.

Brine & Bird Prep:

For the brine, place a stock pot or large pan on the stove.  For every gallon (4Q) of water, add 1 cup of kosher salt & 1 cup of packed brown sugar. For a 12-14 pound turkey you'll need about 3 gallons (12Q) of water.  Add some peppercorns, bay leaves, cinnamon, halved oranges, cloves; now's a good time to experiment with some of your favorite flavor combinations.  Bring the pot to the boil then reduce the heat to a simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely to room temperature. The afternoon or evening before the day of cooking, take the turkey out of its packaging then clean and rinse it thoroughly. Save the giblets for your gravy if you'd like. Remove the pop-up thermometer now so you don't forget it later on; long slow cooking & pop-up thermos don't play well together- trust me on this. Once cleaned and the thermometer is removed, submerge the bird into the brine and replace the container into your fridge or cooler for the night. Use a kitchen brick (what, you don't have one?) or some other heavy object to help keep the bird submerged in the brine .

Grill prep:

This bird can be prepared on just about any grill big enough to hold it. Gas, charcoal, wood smoker or grilling pit in the yard (what, you don't have one of those either?) is fine also. I'm not here to tackle the gas/ wood debate, just to share with you how to make a delicious smoked turkey. My personal & business preference is wood, so I'll be describing that process. You can still achieve a good smokey flavor using charcoal or gas, just make sure you give your owner's manual a good once over so you don't void a warranty or make turkey charcoal. Start your grill per your normal operating procedures and set it to achieve a temp in the range of 250-275 degrees. While your grill is heating, start soaking your wood chips so they're ready when the grill is. Chips take about 30-40 minutes to soak, chunks take longer so plan accordingly. The choice of wood to use is almost as hotly contested as what type of grill. Just about any hardwood will work. My personal selection is a mix of pecan and hickory.

Final Bird Prep: